The Joys Of Pregnancy
by Original509
Summary: Related to my other story. It's tough to handle the ups and downs and surprises of Death City, especially when you're expecting a baby. But with the help of their friends and family, and a certain book, Maka and Soul Evans just might handle it.
1. Finding Out

****

I had planned on updating **For The One We Love**** with a Maka baby drabble, but that got me thinking into writing a story all about our favorite Weapon-Meister baby. This is basically a side story to FTOWL, all about the so-called 'joys' of having a baby. **

**But it must be pretty joyful to carry the baby of the hottest guy in Death City (I envy you, Maka!)**

**Disclaimer-I do not own the anime, manga, or anything involving the actual Soul Eater franchise. I'd like to say I own the Evans baby, but if I do say that a) that will sound REALLY weird b) 99 Maka-Chops, and that will be painful. So I'll say I own the **_**idea**_** of the Evans baby. Ok, yeah, there other SoMa baby stories, but...**

**In this story I own the idea! Period.  
Ok, let's go!**

* * *

_The Joys of Pregnancy_

Maka read those 4 words over andover again, her eyes especially focused on a particular word.

_Pregnancy_

Maka, pregnant? Maka, having a baby? She placed her hand tentatively over her stomach. She read the cover again, bewildered by all this. She looked up at Tsubaki, who gave her the book. "Are you serious?"

Tsubaki nodded. "It seems like it. After all, you're showing the regular signs of an expectant woman. Sickness, grouchiness, overly tired, huge increaase in appetite, cravings, and so on."

"I guess, but still...You're actually suggesting I'm carrying a life inside me? A soul?"

"Most likely. Ah..." Tsubaki hesitated for a moment, then continued. "How was the honeymoon?"

"The honeymoon?" Maka was a little thrown off. "The honeymon was, um, great." Two pink spots appeared on her cheeks, telling a lot more on the vacation. Maka was always shy on the subject, and was relieved when no one, not even Blair pestered her on Soul's skills. It was practically impossible to say that her husband was realy good in bed without turning 9 shades of red. Actually, Soul was more than good. He was great.

No, he was freakin' awesome. Maka blushed harder as she reminisced those nights. Those hot, sweaty nights that left her sore for days...

"Maka? Is something wrong. You look like you're dozing off."

The 20-year-old meister snapped out of her trance and smiled guiltily at her friend. "Just...looking back. That's all."

"Oh." Tsubaki gave her a knowing look, and Maka felt her face grow warm. She didn't even say it, but _still_ her friend knew what she meant.

_At least it's not Black*Star. _If that idiotic assassin got gist of this simple conversation, he'd be laughing his head off. Then that same head would have a huge chop.

Maka finally opened her book and skimmed through it. She turned the page and was greeted by a picture of a small, sleeping, peaceful-looking newborn, wrapped in a soft, yellow blanket. Maka stared at that picture, trying to imagine the child she was supposedly carrying. She hoped it was beautiful...

But was she actually pregnant? After all, she didn't think about that concept until Tsubaki just handed her that book. She eyed the bag the book came in and raised her eyebrows at a smaller bag poking out of the first one. She was pretty certain what that small bag contains, and the thought made her uncomfortable. Tsubaki followed her glance and smiled sheepishly. "I thought you might to see...if this is actually it. I'm sure Soul would like to know. Don't worry, I haven't said anything yet!" she added hastily when Maka glared at that last sentence. Maka glanced back to the bag, and sighed. She may as well face the truth. If it was true, and to her surprise, Maka hoped it was.

* * *

Soul tapped his plate, waiting patiently for dinner. It was his turn to cook, but Maka had stopped him when he tried to prepare dinner. She looked strangely giddy, it made him a little nervous. She looked like those stupid fangirls that chased him in his years in DWMA. All bright-eyed and happy and _giggly_. Totally uncool. Totally unlike his Maka. Until recently, when he came home. Maka had this huge smile on her face, like she was hiding some huge secret that she decided to hold over his head. Uncool.

That huge smile remained on her face when she served their dinner, beef curry and rice. Soul raised his eyebrows at her plate, which was double its usual amount. What the hell? Since when was Maka a pig? He spooned the delicious-looking curry and and ate the first spoonful. Maka also ate, but as dinner went on, she ate less and less, and just played with the remaining curry. Her broad, I-know-something-you-don't smile eventually eased into a small, sweet, gentle smile. It was a smile that seemed less like those stupid fangirls and more like Maka. Still, it had that strange mootvie behind it, and it made Soul a little uneasy. "

He finished his curry, and set his spoon down on his empty plate. He stared straight at his wife. "Ok, what's the big news? What is Maka Evans hiding that could change humanity forever?" He made sure to pile on the sarcasm.

Maka's smile grew bigger and she clasped both of Soul's hands with hers. "I know we haven't talked about this much, and maybe it's a little soon, maybe we're a little umprepared for this, but I think we can do this. I really can."

"Do what?" Soul tried to sound calm, but her serious face and tone made him edgy and think about his previous words.

Her smile grew into a beam. "Soul...I'm pregnant!"

* * *

**Bam! That's it. That's the end of chapter 1. If people are nice to me, I'll be able to continue this. This is in relationhip to ****For The One We Love.**** Check that stroy out as well. I'm able to update that soon. Is it corny? OCC? Don't know, but please be kind to let me know if it is. I have a fragile ego, don't destroy it. **

**I've been watching the openings and endings for Soul Eater Repeat Show, and it's not that bad. But it doesn't compare to Resonance, and Paper Moon. BLACK PAPER MOON! I love that song. ^^**

**Read and review, blah blah blah, if you do it, I will love you, blah blah, I'll give you cookies, blah. : )**

**Seriously, please review, that'll make my day. **


	2. Important

Hey guys.

This hurts a lot to type this, but for now, this story's on hiatus. I was in the process of selling my laptop so I can get a new one (the old one was really slow), so I moved my files that was on my computer into my dad's flash drive (my own drive was at school). However, today, when I tried to move the files into my flash drive, I couldn't find my folder that has all my work. Unfotunately, it contains the next entry for For The One We Love and The Joys Of Pregnancy, and, according to my "lovable" stepdad, those files, as well as others, are gone, so I'll have to start over.

The hiatus is very temporary, only a few days or weeks. It will NOT be canceled.

I know it sucks to update with a crappy note, but I had to let you guys know. Please don't be mad at me. If you're going to review, don't flame me. I'm really, really sorry. So sorry, I actually cried when I couldn't find my folder, because I wanted to update FTOWL tonight, and TJOP tomorrow.

Thanks guys for sticking with me this far, and hopefully you will still do that for the long days ahead.

-Original509 (who is very sorry for all this)


	3. Afterglow

**Ugh, this is my third time rewriting this chapter! The first time, I didn't save my work, and my stupid laptop had shut down automatically so it can do some updates. Then, there's that flash-drive nightmare thing, and now here's this. **

**This chapter is called 'Afterglow' AKA the Super, Extra-Long Chapter, cause it's my longest chapter by far! (And this is only, like, chapter 2, if you don't count that last awful update as a chapter) Slight warning: I hate writing lemons (not that I have ever wrtten before), but something in this is kind of on the edge of a lemon, probably cause there's a bit of kissing...and they're in bed. Go figure. **

**If you haven't read my other story (and I suggest you do. Please?), then you should probably check out the favor I need from you guys at the end of this. It's nothing bad, really. **

**Disclaimer goes here, I think. **

* * *

Death City was quiet. So quiet, it was practically ominous.

The girl walking through the alleyway didn't think so. In fact, she seemed content, unaware what dangers may lurk in the corners of Death City.

But danger was there, and it was staring intently at the girl. He approached her quietly, stealthily. His hunger grew.

The girl finally began to sense the tension in the air. She turned slowly...

But she moved too slow, and too late. The creature that had secretly spied on her raised his large, sharp talons, and sliced her body cleanly in one-half. The light of the alleyway flickered, and then died out. Just like her life. The bloody corpse of the young woman lay before him, and a small, blue soul emerged. It hovered over the body, bright The creature pinched it with his bloody talons, and greedily swallowed it.

A scream occurred, and the creature turned to see another woman flee the scene. His hunger grew. "Want...more...power," he growled, and went after her.

The girl continued to run, her heart pounding with fear, praying she wouldn't suffer the same fate as that other young woman. Unfortunately, the creature was not far behind, creeping after her. His chance for another soul increased as the woman fell over. He jumped, and soon he hovered above her, his sharped grin evil, the hunger lurking in his eyes. "More...power." He raised his claws, ready to strike the final blow, ready to collect another innocent soul.

*Slurp*

The creature paused, and looked for the source of the strange noise. The woman took advantage of the distraction, and ran away. The creature paid no attention to her, and instead focused on a pair of humans that were on wide stairs, just parallel to him. A boy with snow-white sat near the top of the stairs, while a girl with blonde pigtails stood at the top. They were both quiet, but it was a very tense silence. A dark, looming silence.

The girl spoke first. "That man, Soul Eater, his soul..."

"Yeah, Maka, there's no doubt about it," the boy answered, his own fangs bared as he talked. "That dude's soul is a kishin egg. It's pure evil. He's not human anymore."

The kishin egg growled, and turned to face the duo, but the girl, Maka, remained calm. "Any soul that breaks from the path of humanity and becomes evil runs the risk of transforming into a kishin. In the name of Lord Death, this evil must be purged. Let's collect the damage, Soul, and end this."

The boy slowly stood up his hands in the pocket of his maroon jeans. "Just so we're clear, Maka, this guy's turning himself into a weapon. He's the same as me that way. 'Course, I look a lot cooler in my human form than he does." He held out his arm, which started to glow. The glowing stopped, and in the place where his left arm was, was a scythe with a red and black jagged pattern. "But being a weapon isn't what the problem is here. The problem with this guy...is his SOUL!"

His whole body turned blue, and the the shape of a scythe was formed. It started spinning towards Maka, who murmured quietly, but dangerously, "I know."

Shr grabbed the scythe and spun it. She rested it over her shoulder and neck. She continued to address the creature. "You, serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Your murdering days are done. Your soul is mine!"

Jack the Ripper roared and ran up the stairs in some sort of insane, zig-zag pattern. On the last step, he jumped, his claws poised and ready for ripping. Maka stood her ground, waiting. "Weapon and meister are two fighting as one. Let's go, Soul Eater."

The scyther twirled in her hands, and it blocked the the attacks the creature directed at her. She turned quickly and swiped at him, he dodging her attacks every time. He gave another big jump, and he made a huge swipe at her with his talons. She ducked out of the way, and blocked once more. She backed into a wall, and Jack made another attempt at ripping. However, she back away in the nick of time, and he ended up destroying part of the wall she had backed into before. The scythe continued to twirl in her hands, fending off the Ripper's attempts at capturing her soul. The kishin coninued to swipe, to hit, to rip. He lunged, trying to trap Maka, but she backed off, and his claws destroyed the ground as well.

The battle coninued, and Maka stepped closer and closer to the stairs, blocking each of Jack's attacks with Soul the scythe. He made a huge swipe, and she jumped. She landed, one foot on his head, and jumped off. That made him lose his balance, and he wave those talons on his claws to keep his balance, and not fall down the stairs. Maka landed on the ground and made a sharp turn towards him, her gloved hands clutching on hard to her scythe. Jack the Ripper jumped into the air, and Maka followed suit. Twirling her hands, she cried out, "It's ours now!"

She collided into him, and screamed, "OUR 99TH SOUL!"

The scythe cleanly cut him, and Jack's body disintergrated. All that remained was a blood-red kishin egg soul.

Maka landed on the stairs, and she directed her emerald-green eyes toward the soul, which slowly lowered down. Soul, still partly, in his weapon form, reached for it, and grabbed it. He transformed back into his human form, and holding Jack the Ripper's soul by the tip, he lowered it to his mouth, and swallowed. Soul gave a sigh of content and satisfaction. He clasped his hands together. "Maka, thank you for a good meal."

He expected her to say something about their 99th soul, and that all was left was a witch soul. Or maybe something about reporting to Lord Death. However, he _didn't _expect to hear a groan from her. He turned to his meister, whose back was to him. "Hey, Maka? You all right?"

"I'm fine," she answered softly. She turned her body around, and faced Soul with her hand over her stomach.

Her very large stomach.

Soul gaped at it, wondering what the hell just happened. His red eyes were directed back to Maka's face, which was covered in pain and agony. "But, Soul, I don't think our baby's fine. I think something happened."

Soul suddenly felt lost in a fog, unsure what to think of this. "What do you mean?" he heard himself say, so far away.

"I think...I think..."

But what Maka thought, Soul will never know. Before he could react, her entire body disintergrated. He found himself staring at two souls, hovering over the ground. One of them was small, with the classic pigtails. The other one was even smaller, hardly half the size of the other soul.

"More...power..."

In shock, he saw Jack the Ripper reappear, as if nothing had happened. He pinched each of the small, helpless souls with each of his talons, both of which were dripping blood. He swallowed them both, and turned to Soul, his eyes maniacal.

"Power."

* * *

Maka knew from her years as a meister that she had to expect the unexpected. Be aware of any surprises that may happen. Death City, possibly the most unpredictable city in the West, maybe in America, also taught her that (and sometimes, she learned that the hard way)

However, she really didn't expect to wake up at the crack of dawn to the hysterical screaming of her husband, Soul Eater Evans. She couldn't be sure, due to her drowsiness, but she though she heard Soul yell, "You bastard!" She knew she had to shut him up, or else the neighbors will complain. She fingered the thick binder of the huge book The Joys of Pregnancy, resisted the urge. She needd to talk to Soul about this, since that opportunity wasn't there last night. Groaning a bit, she sat up, took Soul by the shoulders, and half-heartedly tried to shake him. "Soul! Soul!"

He still continued screaming, and even giving threats such as, "I will freaking kill you!" Maka was amazed that he could scream so loud for so long. But it also irritated the hell out of her. Her patience reached the limit when Soul started kicking, and accidentally ended up kicking her. Her patience, which was even thinner than usual due to the lack of sleep and time of day, finally broke, and she grabbed her book and preformed her infamous-

**MAKA CHOP!**

The yelling mercifully stopped, as Soul's figure became limp, and nestled under the sheets. Maka sighed and laid on her back. It's all quiet now, but thanks to him, she couldn't sleep anymore. His screams and cusses made her wide awake, not to mention...what was so scary about his nightmare that made him scream so much? She had to ask.

"Soul?"

The lump under the covers moved slightly, showing that her Maka Chop didn't make him unconscious. "Mmm?"

"What happened?"

She sounded so soft, so coaxing, that it made something inside Soul die a little. He can't imagine her dead. He can't imagine their own child dead. The thought of something horrible happening to them scared the hell out of him. When he married Maka, she made a promise, to her and himself, that he would do anything it takes to protect her, even if it means he'll die in the process. She's too damn important to him, and now her child - their child - is important, too. He'll do anything to make sure they're safe.

For now, he was glad that she was alive, across from him in their bed. There is nothing wrong with the baby, and there will never be. He'll make sure of it. Instead of answering Maka's question, Soul grabbed her by the waist, pulled her close, and kissed her passionately, absorbing her softness, her warmth. He can tell Maka was a bit surprised, and even a bit disapproving. After a while though, she relaxed, and wrapped her arms around him. Soul rolled on top of her, continuing his kisses. The morning breath kinda ruins it, but she still tastes so damn good.

Needless to say, he wasn't very happy when Maka broke off the kiss. He glared down at her. "Hey, that wasn't cool. What gives?'"

Maka smiled cheekily up at him. Then her face grew serious. "Soul, we need to talk. Actually, last night would've been better, but since you fainted-"

Soul interrupted. "Whoa, whoa, wait. I _fainted? _Since when do I faint? Passing out is not cool, and everyone knows how cool I am."

Maka raised her eyebrows, and got out from under her husband. "Really? Well then, what else do you call it when a certain guy goes rigid, then collapses and falls off his chair when his wife tells him she's having his baby?"

Soul's right eyebrow twitched. No way, that didn't happen. Cool guys don't faint or pass out or whatever. No, cool guys stay, well, cool.

But then again, last night _was_a little foggy. All he remembered was Maka taking his hands, and telling him that she was pregnant. After that, it was all black, and then dream started...

Maka continued. "And then, that same wife tried to wake her stupid husband up for 5 minutes, and then tried to drag him to bed, but she couldn't because he was so freakin' heavy!"

Already the mood swings were taking place. Great. Damn, it looks like he did get a bit weak. He sincerely hopes that Black*Star doesn't find out about this. He'll have a laughing riot.

"Soul?"

Said person turned to Maka as he got up from the bed, his face obviously annoyed. Maka stared, twiddling her fingers. "So. what do you think?"

Soul stared at the growing stomach that was well hidden behind her flannel pjs. A little soul was growing there. A little soul that he and Maka created. He reached out to her, and embraced her tight. "Yeah, I'm happy. Very."

But her didn't tell her how scared he is, scared that he wouldn't be a good father, that he would fail in raising him or her, that he'll fail to protect them, his little family.

* * *

**And so ends the Super, Mega, Ultra, Extra-Long chapter (which took, maybe 4 days to type, since I had to watch and re-watch Soul Eater ep 1 so I can depict the scene perfectly for Soul's dream. Actually, it wasn't the longest chapter I typed, but it was still pretty long to me) AKA Afterglow. I don't know why I chose that word, but I like it, and it sounded appropriate for the chapter after Soul 'faints'. **

**By the way, I need a HUGE favor from you guys. On my profile, I put up a poll determining which sex I should make the baby be. And please, people, I need you, in the reviews, to give me a suggestion for a baby name for each gender. Voting will end on March 24th (which is my godsister's birthday!), and I will tell you about the voting for baby names in my next update (which won't be for a while, sadly). **

**I have a LOT of plans of the upcoming chapters *smiles evilly*. I'm gonna make Soul so miserable with Maka! Hahahahaha!**

**Happy belated St. Patrick's Day, everyone!**


	4. Curiosity Kills the Albino

**I find the title catchy :)**

**Anyway, as you all know, the title of the story comes from that nifty pregnancy book Maka got from Tsubaki! Now I wonder what happens when a certain albino finds it...**

**The suspense!**

**Oh, yeah, I just want to say that I do not own or have anything against the following: Soul Eater (any characters), pregnancy books, romance books, mini-vans, albinos.**

* * *

Soul ran his fingers across his messy white hair, and glared at the bathroom door which contained his wife. She pretty much the entire morning emptying her stomach, so she couldn't go work in the library at Shibusen. Soul, as Shinigami-sama's weapon, went there, leaving her to embrace the toilet. She had been throwing up when he left, and when he got home to check at her around noon, she was still in the bathroom. It was as if she spent the entire morning there.

Soul waited patiently against the same wall that has the bathroom door. He could hear Maka retching inside there, and the sound of it made _him_ a little queasy. He tried to focus one something else, and he gazed absently at the wall opposite him, where their bed was was pushed against. His ruby eyes wandered, and rested on a certain book that was on the nightstand on Maka's side of the bed. It was a huge, thick book. He's seen it before. Maka was always reading it. He didn't know what it was called (or really cared) but it has something to do with with her pregnancy. Soul would bet his money that it was probably full of crap, saying that pregnancy is a joy and one of the greatest journeys in a woman's life.

Ok, he'll admit he looked at a couple of books about the whole 9 months thing. Basically, he's curious. He's not sure what to expect of all this, so he skimmed through a couple of them, and even got a couple strange looks from other people (no one who knows him, thank Shinigami). But it all said the same thing - a husband should be supportive during those 9 months, for it is hard on that woman. But what about the men? After all, they have deal with the throw ups, the insane cravings, the awful mood swings (which, of course, in Soul's case, leads to a Maka Chop). There's also the tears and the whining and more throw ups and more Chops and more cravings and screaming and cussing and, in one unfortunate case for Soul, kicking the "sensitive parts".

So men need some credit for dealing with their bi-atch women. But it doesn't say that in those books. No, all they mention is that men may gain "sympathy weight" or something like that from seeing the women grow into a watermelon, and even have their own case of upchucks.

Soul continued to glare at the book. It was probably one of those books, the kind that are feeding BS to Maka. He winced and closed his eyes, imagining a Maka-zilla demanding he be more supportive and sympathetic like that book says.

He has to get that book, and get rid of it before it defiles Maka's already absurd mind.

* * *

But of course, Soul's mind is pretty cluttered, so eventually his task kinda slipped from the important list. Instead, the list consists of:

1. As Death Scythe, stand next to Lord Death at all times and be prepared to not only fight any enemies, but to carry out any of Death's ridiculous tasks (i.e. Translating for Justin)

2. Deal with the female students who have a crush on him (he honestly can't blame them; after all, he's the coolest guy in Death City)

3. Deal with the female teachers and teacher assistants who have a thing for him (it's one thing if they're students, but...they're older than him! Unlike some, Soul's not into cougars)

4. Piss off Spirit (his favorite priority)

5. Make sure Spirit doesn't kill him (even though Soul's a much cooler Death Scythe, and could probably take him on anyday)

6. Destroy Black*Star's supergiant ego (in any way, from basketball to chugging the most drinks; another pastime favorite of Soul)

7. Do anything to destroy Kid's OCD obsession and see him torture himself (he just looooves annoying people. He can't help it, he's bored)

8. Make sure Blair doesn't shove her gigantic tits in his face

9. Go home, hear Maka babble like an idiot and avoid the Maka Chops.

10. Nurse the inevitable Maka Chop your sensitive head recieved, and hope tomorrow would be a better day (chances are, they won't)

He tries to avoid the Maka Chop, but that's how Maka would greet him when he comes home. He'd say, "Hey, Maka" and kiss her on the cheek, and she'd say, "Screw you!" and Maka-Chop him. Those hormones are really getting to him...

That _book_ was getting to _her_, he realized in horror. That freakishly thick book Maka owned had finally hypnotized her!

He strolled home, deciding to depend less and less on his beloved orange motorcycle. They're probably going to sell it, as it wasn't child-proof or child-safe or whatever the hell it is. Soul wasn't against it totally, but he can't imagine trading his cool motorcycle for something horrible like...like... a minivan. No way in hell would he drive something like that.

He passed by a modest bookstore, and stopped abruptly. He took a couple steps back, and saw Maka there, her nose deep into a book she's reading. He observed the section she's in, which was the romance section, which, according to Soul, was the cheesiest section of anything ever. He took a peek at one of Maka's romance novels, and it was as delusional as the pregnancy books. The woman was always some beautiful, and usually blonde, woman that has a tragic past, and meets this devilishly handsome man (who is depicted way too feminine, Soul thought). Everything is good and la-di-da Troubles come, though, to the poor heroine, and either A) it's the girly-dude's fault and he has to apologize to her B) it's up to same girly-dude to save the day

Soul couldn't understand why she likes that kind of stuff. It's sickening. He toyed with the idea of going up to Maka and dragging her home before she gets too deep in that story, but decided against it. Maka wouldn't hesitate to give him a Chop in a public place.

He figured he may as well go home and enjoy the couple minutes of silence without her yelling in his ear. But for some reason, his feet led him to Maka's nightstand, where that stupid book still lay. He continued to stare - no, glare at it - and wonder what kind of hogwash this book contains. He lifted the object and flipped through the pages, not paying attention to the contents and copyright. He stopped at the title page

The Joys of Pregnancy

Yup, he was right. She's being brainwashed. He continued to flip pages, and came across a colorful picture of a newborn, wrapped in a soft, yellow blanket. The baby's eyes were closed, deep in a peaceful sleep, her hands small and curled. The cheeks were bright pink. A pink cap covered the little girl's golden locks.

Soul stared at her, a strange feeling occurring. He gently and curiously touched the face, and wondered if their baby's skin would be as soft-looking. Realizing what he's thinking, he shook his head and turned the pages.

To make a long story short, there were a couple of things Soul didn't expect to see in Maka's nifty book. Besides throwing up, women can spend eternity there emptying their bladder. They become more sensitive to smells (that explains a lot; Maka had once brought home an air freshener. An hour after plugging it in, she complained of the smell), and they're tired all the time. Soul was disgusted by the more alien characteristics listed in the symptoms (which would not be listed here), and came across the best part of the book: labor and birth process.

The details of that would be spared, but the strange vocabulary concerning Maka's, ahem, "feminine parts and beyond" and the disgusting scene of a baby popping out of Maka (and the strange pictures of labor), all bloody and gutty and stuff made Soul's stomach churn.

When Maka got home, she was surprised to hear the all-too-familiar sound of upchucking. She raced to the bathroom, and saw Soul leaning over the toilet, his chest heaving.

"Soul, what's going on?" She cried out, kneeling next to him and checking his forehead to see if he was warm.

Soul wiped his mouth with his sleeve and grinned sheepishly. "Nothing, Maka. Nothing important."

Soul couldn't tell her that he has been reading her book, and that the same book caused him to lose his stomach. He's cool, and cool guys don't react to something like that.

* * *

The duo settled in their bed, tired, but strangely restless at the same time. After a moment of just lying there, Maka reached over to her nightstand and grasped the thick book that caused Soul to lose his cool (not that he would ever admit it).

Said guy saw her, and turned a bit green as the picutres and mental images and vocabulary came tumbling back. Maka noticed him; it was hard not to notice a normally pale guy turn as green and look sick at the sight of her book. "Soul, what's up with you?"

Soul managed to recover (somewhat), and sighed. "Nothing, nothing, I just think now's the time to read. I mean, you need a good sleep. You must be tired and all."

"Say what?" Maka raised her eyebrows. What was Soul talking about?

He continued. "And are you feeling sick now, or maybe you need to go to the bathroom before you sleep. I don't want you to get up in the middle of the night just so you can take a leak."

"Take a..." Maka was bemused. What's with Soul? She studied his tired, wan face to the book in her hand, and thought about his words. After that, she put two and two together. "You read my pregnancy book, didn't you?"

Soul cringed. Damn! He figured it would be a matter of time before she realized it, but he hoped it would be later. He waited, waited for the pain that would befall on his head. But nothing came.

He opened his eyes and saw Maka...beaming. She's happy? "That's great, Soul! I think that makes things a whole lot more easier. I figured that the whole labor process would be uncomfortable, but since you read it, I guess you're more understanding about it. There's the cervix dilating, and the contractions that would occur. The c-section-"

Maka was into the strange subject that she didn't notice Soul jump out of bed and head for the bathroom. It took loud retching and cussing for her to notice. Maka sat there, digesting Soul's reaction to this. She then chuckled, and opened her book.

"Guess that was too much for him to handle. Oh, well. He probably shouldn't have read it anymore. Curiosity _does_ kill the albino."

* * *

**That's gonna be my new catchphrase or something. It is catchier to say albino than cat. At least it is for me. **

**My baby gender poll is closed, and I will not reveal the winner (and don't tell me who it is in the reviews). Right now, I want you to just go and vote on my next poll: the best BOY names. I don't care if you voted for a girl or a boy or a Chrona-like genderless figure. I just want you to vote. The public opinion counts! If I am missing some boy names from the reviews, tell me in the reviews or PM me. **

**Please do not complain about this chapter. I worked hard on it. I'm not sure on updating For The One We Love anytime soon, since I want to get this up-to-date with it (story timeline wise, FTOWL is barely a month ahead of this)**

**One more thing: Cookies for all my reviewers! And more cookies for anyone who reviews this!**


	5. 2 Months

**I'll be honest with you, my awesome readers. The reasons I have been absent: laziness, lost interest momentarily, school stuff and absorbed in Black Butler and Hetalia for so long, I forgot about my beloved Soul Eater. But I'm back.**

**I am happy to present to you my next chapter in Maka and Soul's long, long journey towards parenthood! **

**Disclaimer is here (yes, you're going to see this every chapter. Deal with it, or just skip it)**

**On with the show! (er, story)**

* * *

Soul Eater stared at her stomach, which didn't look any different. That's what bothered him. Shouln't she have at least a little bump by now?

Maka felt his stare as she chopped celery for their dinner. Actually, it seemed as if he never stopped staring. It made her a bit uneasy, the way he was observing her like that - no, scratch that - the way he _gawked_ at her like that. The irritation in her voice could be heard as she spoke. "Are you trying to set a record on how long you can stare at a woman's stomach?"

Soul ignored that and was silent for a moment. He continued to stare, and then murmured, "2 months."

Maka heard those words and turned to him. "Excuse me?"

"2 months," Soul said absently, as if he didn't hear her. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. "The doctor said you were 2 months along." He glanced at her stomach, and shook his head. "A load of bull, if you ask me. You don't look any different."

Maka wasn't sure whether or not that was a compliment. The appropriate reaction to that was probably to just continue cooking, and she did. She chopped the celery at a steady pace, careful she doesn't slice off her finger like Soul almost did a while ago. On the stove, the pasta boiled, and once in a while, she would stir it. While she moved around the kitchen, Soul just sat with his elbows on the kitchen table and face resting on one hand. His crimson eyes were deep in thought. A first for him, according to Maka.

After minutes of cooking and staring, dinner was ready. Soul grabbed his fork, his stomach growling. To say he was hungry was an understatement. After today's events, he was starved.

Maka set down his plate,and he raised his eyebrows. What the _hell _was this? He poked around his food. It looked like pasta...with some weird brown sauce at the top. There was also some weird green stuff settling in the brown sauce. He peered at Maka, who ate it casually. He glared at the food, and it seemed to glare back, if possible. He twirled the pasta, and held the fork gingerly, hesitant to let that slide down his throat and have his stomach digest it.

"Soul, it won't kill you," Maka said with an air of impatience, sipping her water.

Not in the mood for one of her Maka chops at the moment, Soul shoved the food and felt his cheeks puff out. The pasta was cooked nicely, but she decided to top it with...barbecue sauce? He chewed slowly, his dislike for the 'dinner' growing. He saw Maka eyeing him, her green eyes dark. Hastily, he swallowed it and coughed. His stomach begged him to take back that awful stuff, but Soul painfully ignored it. He chugged the glass of ice water beside the plate, and ended up getting a brain freeze. He clutched his forehead, and the air turned purple with his cussing.

Maka sat there the whole time watching Soul torture himself with the food _she_ made. Her right eyebrow twitched. She would've found Soul's little show funny if it wasn't the fact that he was practically insulting the food she prepared for the two of them. "Something wrong with dinner?"

Soul coughed and pointed at his hardly-touched food. "Hell yeah, there's something wrong with it. What is that thing? That shouldn't even be classified as dinner!"

Maka slammed down her fork, and Soul grew rigid, his subconscious telling him to embrace himself for the impact of her freakishly thick book. But that didn't happen. Instead, Maka stared at him, her eyes shining, as if she was about to cry. "You don't like it? Then, fine! Don't bother thanking me for slaving over the stove just so I can feed your fat mouth!" She wiped her mouth and her threw her napkin at her plate. Muttering under her breath she pushed back her chair and left the table. "I'm gonna go to bed."

Soul raised his eyebrows at that, as it was hardly 7:30. Maka brushed past him, who was still in his seat, and went to, Soul assumed, their bedroom. A door opened and slammed, then another door was opened and slammed shut again. From the sounds of it, she was in their bedroom bathroom.

Soul also wiped his mouth and threw his napkin on top of the inedible thing. He leaned back against the small dining table and thought back to today's events.

* * *

_"Maka? Soul?_

_Green eyes and red met the cool blue eyes of the doctor, who had a clipboard in hand. He raised his eyebrows, indicating they had an appointment with him. _

_Soul felt a little wary towards him. There was something strange about him. Maybe it was his undaunting stare. Maybe it was the way he looked at Maka; Soul could've sworn he saw Strange, wicked fascination flicker upon his face. Maybe it was his eyes, cool, calm..._

_Emotionless. _

_Soul felt shivers down his back, and glanced at Maka, wondering if she felt any strange vibes coming off him. She should feel them more than he did, since she has Soul Perception. However, she seemed calm, if not unabashed. She seemed to be a bit tense, from the way she twiddling with her fingers._

_The doctor led them down the long hall. Soul isn't claustrophobic or anything of the like, but he felt nervous and grew paranoid as he kept thinking that the walls of the narrow hall were getting closer...and closer._

_After the checkup (in which Soul kept quiet for once), the doctor asked Maka a couple casual questions (in which Soul pretended unsuccessfully to be deaf; he was still sensitive after the book incident). What really caught Soul's attention was the doctor saying, "Did you know how long you were?"_

_"No," Maka answered. _

_"I took results from the test you took on your last checkup; from the looks of it, you're already 2 months along. Have-"  
_

_"2 MONTHS?" Soul screeched. Maka and the doctor whipped their heads to look at him, their expression different; Maka annoyed and the doctor calm with slight amusement. Though Soul should more afraid at Maka's expression at that time (Rule #1: Never piss off Maka), he was more focused - and irritated - at the doctor's. "What the hell do you mean she's 2 months pregnant? We only got married 2 months ago! Are you saying I got her knocked up on our wedding night?"_

_"Soul!" Maka hissed, her cheeks burning. She usually doesn't mind him cursing at home or around their friends, but this was her doctor! And those last couple sentences...she was on the urge of chopping him just so he would shut up_

_Had it been another doctor, part of their calm chain would've been snapped. Some of them might've been slightly embarrassed about him mentioning something so personal. However, this one just smiled serenely. "Isn't that wonderful?" (Hells no! Soul screamed mentally) "That means that you're soon going to become a daddy!"_

_"Yes, Soul is very happy. Right Soul?" Maka growled that last part, and squeezed her husband's hand. Soul winced and drew his hand out of his wife's iron grip. With his luck, he might end up in the hospital before Maka with the baby. _

_"Right Maka," he gasped before Maka eased her squeeze. Her slender hand lightly covered Soul's giant, rough one as the doctor continued speaking as if Soul didn't spaz out a minute ago. "I see you have been taking good care of yourself. Tell me, in those 2 months, did you drink wine or smoke at all?"_

_"I don't smoke," she stated matter-of-factly, "but I think I sipped some wine at some point."_

_"As long as you didn't consume large amounts, then you and the baby will be fine," the doctor said warmly, scribbling something down in his clipboard. Soul muttered darkly under his breath, and Maka pinched him. _

_"Don't be an ass, Soul," she hissed in his ear. Soul, already on the risk of being Maka-chopped, didn't answer, but continued to look moody._

_After more Q&As and more grumpiness and obscenities from Soul (tis' a miracle Maka didn't chop him right there), the couple bid a farewell from their doctor and went home. As Maka grabbed her purse, Soul turned to the doctor to apologize for his behavior today. Scarlet eyes met blue, and Soul felt his insides freeze up. Soul quickly avoided the doctor's unwavering stare, and followed Maka out the door._

* * *

**I think I made Soul into a drama queen. He's gonna kill me. I actually had more planned out for this chapter, but then I had other ideas... I'm sorry for the couple misspelled words, and for taking so long to update. Luckily, school's out for me so I'll have more time to type. Meanwhile, I will watch Hetalia and organize a couple thing on FF, like the new poll I put up. **

**Ok, the boy name poll has been going on for a while, and as of June 16, 2011, 7:19 here in Pennsylvania, the poll is closed. Now I will have all of you vote on the best GIRL name for the baby. And it will be a blind poll, so you can't see which name is more dominant with the reviewers. The poll will be on my page indefinitely (translation-it'll be there until my next update on this story). Still, vote ASAP! I should also tell you that the names Hikari and Saint are on there, since I find them to be gender-neutral (although later, I found found out Saint was originally a suggestion for the girls. Oops!)**

**As for my other story, For The One We Love, I am still working on the next chapter for that, but I still have writer's block about that. Still, it's summer, and I promise an update will come soon!**


	6. Food is Important

**Is there a contest for Worst Author on FanFiction? 'Cause I think I could be nominated for it. Dear Lord, summer 2011 has come and passed, and now it's almost summer again and I haven't updated at all.**

**Thanks to the encouragement (*coughnaggingcough*) of my dearest friend, PurpleSoul1996, I got off my lazy butt and updated this. It's not her birthday anymore (February 7), but those who are reading this can still spam her story with reviews saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY in caps-lock. Emoticons are optional.**

**I noticed that while the summary led you to believe that this all from Maka's point of view, the story seems to be more on Soul's viewpoint. So now, this is a chapter on the mommy-to-be's side of the story.**

* * *

In retrospect, the pasta wasn't that appetizing for her either, and she doesn't blame Soul for having a small (albeit immature) fit over the food.

Still, he could've pretended to like it. It's the least he could do after she had the energy to cook for him. Maka rolled on her side in their bed, keeping in mind that sleeping on her side is the best sleeping position for her and the baby. But she couldn't sleep. How can she? It's not even eight o'clock.

Her mind was restless, and she was still hungry, but being the stubborn woman she had always been, Maka willed herself not to leave the room. Tired of her failed attempts to sleep, she decided to turn the The Joys of Pregnancy to keep her active brain occupied. After skimming through some uninteresting pages, she noticed an entire section dedicated to meals and a healthy pregnancy diet. How did she miss that before?

_There's a tiny life growing inside you - your baby! Good news: The chances of having a healthy baby are already excellent. A great way to increase your odds is to simply eat well. The Joys of Pregnancy presents a diet that'll not only increase the odds of a healthy baby, but increase the chances of a more balanced emotional state (less mood swings) and a healthier, more comfortable pregnancy (i.e., less morning sickness, fatigue, etc.). _

The more she read, the more astounded Maka was at the endless amount of information and tips about a healthy diet. More astounding was that she missed this section completely, even though there were 20+ pages about it. Some of the recipes this book offered seemed to be good for her and Soul to eat.

(A/N: The following is a recipe. Skip if you don't care for it)

_Cream of Tomato Soup_

_Makes 3 servings_

_1 tablespoon butter or margarine_

_2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour_

_1 3/4 cups evaporated fat-free milk_

_3 cups tomato or vegetable juice_

_1/4 cup tomato paste_

_Salt and pepper for taste_

_Fresh/Dried Oregano or basil for taste (optional)_

_1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir to blend over very low heat for 2 minutes. Gradually blend in the milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened._

_2. Add in the juice, tomato paste, and seasonings, stirring until smooth. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes._

_ the soup warm, topped with the oregano or basil if desired._

Fascinating. She'll try that sometime...

The abrupt knock on her door startled her out of her reading, and the annoyed bookworm grudgingly went to the door. No prizes given to anyone who can guess whoever's behind that. Ok, so Soul doesn't like dinner. That's fine; she wasn't fond of it either, but that doesn't give that S.O.B the right to complain over the food she worked hard to make! In fact, she might as well take the fork Soul was eating with and shove it right up his-

Maka stopped her mind-ranting upon seeing Soul, who quietly held a tray in his hands. Said tray had three sandwiches, some fruit, chips and other miscellaneous items, and two champagne glasses filled with milk. She stared at the tray, then at her husband, then at the tray again. She didn't underestimate Soul's kindness (which he tries to be discreet about, but without too much success), but it still stunned her that he did this.

"You know, Maka, I can let you eat some of the food here if you let me in."

It would be so amusing for her if she shut the door in his face, but the food looked good, and she needed food for her and their baby. She won't, under any circumstances, let her child starve.

Something confused her, though... "Soul, why are there three sandwiches? Is one not enough for you?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. Surely a genius like Maka knows why there are three. "What other reason? Do you think I want my baby to miss out on my award-winning sandwiches? It's for him or her, of course."

And just like that, what had happened not even an hour ago ceased to exist. They sat at the foot of their bed, eating their overdue dinner in a mock-picnic. Barely any words were exchanged, but they smiled and held hands.

"You really surprise me sometimes, Soul," Maka murmured, the second sandwich in her hands. "I didn't expect you to do something like this."

Soul shrugged. "Cool guys don't let their women go hungry, especially when they're carrying their kid. It's common sense."

"You really are a great partner," she told him, beaming. "I have no doubts saying that you'll make a great daddy for our little bundle of joy."

Did her eyes decieve her? Was Death Scythe Soul Eater Evans blushing? Flustered at her compliment? He turned away awkwardly before Maka could get a good look at his pink face. "Now let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's really up for our child to decide."

She laughed; she never thought she'd hear Soul being modest. "I'm confident he or she will see how great you are." Maka smiled and lifted her milk-filled champagne glass. "To our baby."

Soul glanced her, and the grin appeared on his face again. Lifting up his own glass, he toasted, "To the future Death Scythe, our kid."

And in that one moment, everything was peaceful and forgiven.

For the moment.

* * *

"Who are you calling?"

As Maka served the bowls of Cream of Tomato the next night, Soul chatted on his phone. She had been so preoccupied with cooking (amongst other things) that she didn't even notice that he had been on the phone, much less know who he's talking to or what the subject is.

Soul grinned at her. He seemed truly excited about something, and it intrigued Maka. "Well, since it's official that you're pregnant, we might as well tell everyone about it."

"Who do you plan on calling?" There are certain people Maka had in mind that she prefers NOT to know about her pregnancy.

Soul sensed her tone and held up the one hand that wasn't holding the phone. "Calm down, calm down. On the phone is Tsubaki, and no doubt she will tell Black*Star, who will mention it to Kid, Liz, and Patty. I'm just telling them to meet us in the park tomorrow. I want to tell them the news in person."

"And those are the only people you plan on telling?"

"Well..." He hesitated, and for good reason. "Maybe you should tell your Dad."

"No!" She was adamant. Maka didn't want Spirit to know because she knows he will try to "help" her throughout these remaining 7 months. She doesn't need his help! Or worse, he'll probably kill Soul. He almost did that at their wedding, only to be stopped by some abnormally thick book that she happened to have with her.

"Look, I'm no more eager than you to tell him, but it's better to tell him now when you're not obvious." He nodded at her suspiciously, unbulging stomach. "Otherwise, he'll start nagging and whining when you do become obvious about how we should've told told months ago and blah, blah, blah. I don't need that kind of crap from him."

Dammit. He had a point. Maka's green eyes narrowed at the thought of her bumbling idiot of a father, but decided it would be best for him to hear the news now. "Fine, fine. But I don't want him to help at all with my pregnancy."

"I'll make that fact known. Oh yeah, and Stein might find out from him. Lord Death, too, if Kid hasn't told him first."

Maka threw her hands up. She doesn't mind Stein or Lord Death knowing, but she's not in the mood to have the entire population of Death City know about her, the expecting mother. That yucky, uncomforting feeling in her stomach didn't help her emotions. "Whatever! Tell everyone in Death City. Tell all of your students, all of the teachers, even the workers at Chupa Cabra! Heck, run up to strangers and tell them about it. I'm sure they'll be estatic."

"Jeez, what's with the sarcasm?"

"Just get over here before the soup gets cold or I decide to throw up in it."

* * *

**The next day is the first chapter of For The One We Love, and though (looking at the chapter now while I am typing) it says that Maka called Spirit (in a great mood, too), it seems that here, Soul called him. Maybe she decided to be the one to call and invite her father to the park in the end...or something. I don't know. Come up with your own theories!**

**I'm reopening the poll for " What gender do you want for the Evans baby?", and it'll be there indefinitely.**

**The text for The Joys of Pregnancy baby book is loosely based off of **_**What To Expect When You're Expecting **_**by ****Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway**_**. **_**I unearthed the book from my living room bookshelf, and kept it as a reference for this story. The recipe is from there too. It's actually tasty. Try it!**


End file.
